Flexible-post binder



J. L. M MILLAN ET AL Oct. 2, 1928.

FLEXIBLE POST BINDER Filed Deg. 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet genr vff fl-rroNC vs.

Patented Oct. 2, 19 28.

a omen m MCMILLAN BooK COMPA Y, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, AooRroRATIoNoF'nnw YORK.

FLEXIBLE-row BINDER.

I 7 Application filed December 27,1927. 'SerialN'o. 242,-744

"This invention relates 'tofla'new and ima posts is always done by theuse of some sort of provedloose leaf binder of the type common 1y calleda flexible post binder;

7 In devices of this description it is desir able tohavea binder inwhich the available length of posts can be varied. That is to say,abinde'r in which'the amount of available posts between the "covers canbe increased from time to time as'new sheetsare inserted. We are awarethat binders, to accomplish this specific purpose, have already beenmade but'in every binder of this type heretofore known ithas beendifficulty-if not impossible, to insertnew sheets or to removesheetswithout first increasing the length of'the available posts. Theincreasing of thelength'of the akey device and and in consequenceconsiderable amount ofwork has to be done before an additional sheet can'be'inserte'd, ora

l sheetrem'oved.

the posts 'for insertion of additional leaves.

without the necessity of operating the regular post extending device. IOtherobjectsandadvantages relateto the size, shapeandarrangementof partsas will more fully appear {from the following de scription taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l'is aperspective view, partially broken away, of our device asassembled'inla.

' book.

Figure 2 is a section lonline 2- 2 of Figure5. Figure 3is asecjtion'online 33 iof"'Fig Figure t is a section on line of Figure-5.

ure 1. V I v Figure 6 is a section online 6.6 of Figure5." v I Ourdevice consists' of an upper housing '-1 and a lower housing 2 hingedlyconnected to upperand lower covers 3 d respectively between which a Themain object of our invention is to'de- Figure'5 is a sectiononline 5 5of Fig Theupperhousing 1- -consists ofiabot- FATE 'r wrr acef' g JOHN L.mam al: AnnrAnL o. UNGER, or sYnAcusE, new yonx, ssrenons 'ro tom plate6-' U-shapedin cross section and having at' either end holes 7- 7 Iwhich "holes carry on their'inn'er edges depending curved gu dep1eces'8'8.' One edge bottom plate '6 carries-a plurality, in thi's'casefour,

projecting eye portions -9-between' which are vreceived eye portions 10of cover --3-. 5A pintle 11 is passed-through eye portions -9"and'-'10to hold the same together and tocreate what is in effect a piano hinge.cross section as bottom plate -6"is fittedon bottom plate 6- to form-ahollow approximately rectangular casing. An end" plug -13 is positionedin one end of the casing formed by cover -12- and bottom plate 6 andcarries on its inner face a socket? for a purpose'hereinafterto be dea.scribed. Another-endplug 14- is posilSlOIlGd in theoppo'site end of thecasing and is formed with a cylindrical -hole-'16'for a purposehereinafter to be described. A'bear- A cover '12- of 'thesame.

ing "plate 17 is positioned against the V inner face of end plug -13 anda correg sponding bearingplate -'-18 is positioned against the innerface of end p'lug'14.- A rod ,49,- extends'the length of casing formedby cover 12 and bottom plate adj acent to one side thereof and havingone end journaled in socket '17- and'the' other end journaled'in bearingplate 18. a

The rod 19+ is sufficiently long 'to extend into the hole 16 and thepart 201 of rod 1'9 which extends-into hole is square incross sectionfor engagement with rod -'19 carries a right hand thread +21 and'theopposite end of rod 19 carriesa' left hand thread 22. Lockingnuts y akey or crank (not shown). :One end of T '23f and are carried'onthethreaded ends -'21 andf-22 respectively of rod 19 and are of sucha'sh ape that the housing -1-'will prevent their rotary move- 7' mentwhen the rod '19'is rotated; A guide plate 25 is positioned in housing 1at approximately the center po nt thereof, and a guide rod 26 extendsthrough ,gui'de plate"25 and'bears on;

rod f26 is positioned parallel to rod e and acent the opposite side ofhousing -1. Flexible posts -27 and 28 are inserted into housing 1--through holes These flexible posts 27 and -28' are similar inconstruction and are preferably madeof tongue and groove links -29 heldtogether by-pintles 3(). The inner ends carries a spring retainingcollar -33 abut ting against guide plate 'l7 and a slidable sringretaining collar -33- normally l uttmgagainst guide link -31. Aspring is interposed between thespring retai-ning collar 33, and theSpring retaining h collar 33' -.,'said spring encircling rod ,-26.Similarly'a spring retainng collar 35.' is carried on guide rod 26+-abutting againstobear'ing plate -18--, and a similar springretainingcollar 36- is-carried on guide rod -26- and is slidable thereon: andnormally abuts. against guide 80 i posts --Z7- and -28v respectively.The

link- 152+. Similarlya spring 37'en.-.

circlesguide rod -26, and bears against Sp:

retaining collars 35-.- and -36..

Loc nuts ,-23 and -24 extend downwardly through holes.7- 7 in bottomplate -& and have curved faces adjacent flexible proportions of locknuts 23- and .24.- are suoh'that when they are'moved inwardly ;bythe-notation of rod '9.they willrbe forcedi' against flexible posts '27,and

'. ---28 to hold the same locked in position.

. .23-' and -24 will simultaneouslycon The socket --17 is of asuflicient depth with A Y relation to the length of rod 19- that alimited longitudinal movement of rod ",.19,

is permitted so that in all cases lock nuts tact and lock flexible posts'27- and -2 8'j.- When the lock nuts -23 and 241 are moved outwardlytheywill be stopped by the outside edges of holes 7- -7 in a position toactas guides for flexible posts 27. and

' .-28-. when they are moved in and out through holes 7.7. A protectingplate having spaced holes 38- and for permitting the passage of,flexible 3 posts .--127 and ,-28f--is positioned on the underside of:bottom plate '6+ and is formed so, as to register with the bottom edgesofguides 8-8;and to act as a protecting plate for leaves-+-5. Protectingplate .37, bottom plate end plug -'13 and cover 12- are fastenedtogether by means of rivets e40. Similarly at the other end protectingplate --37- bottom plate 6*,

plug.-14 and cover 12 are fastened together by means of rivets 41- v Thelower housing, '2 is formed with an upper plate 42 which isv U-shaped inCIQBSHSQCUOII andwhich carries spaced holes 5" and positioned so as toregister with holes 77 in housing 1. U wardly extending curved guidesl5- an -l6 .are positioned on the inner edges of holes 43- and44'respectively One edge of top plate 42 carries a plurality, in thiscase four, of projecting eye portions between which are receivedregistering' eye portions of cover 1 l which eye portionsare'heldtogether to form a hinge-by 'a pintle. The hinge constructionfor hous1ng- 2 is not shown in the drawing except in 'sectional viewsshown in Figures 3 and 4; but is similar in a ll respects to the hingeconstruction of housing 1 fpreviously 'described. A bottom platesimilar: cross section to top plate is fittedon top of plate to formathollow approxi-j mately rect,angular' .casing. Upwardly curv- 1 ingguide plates and -6 9 v are se cured in bottom plate' 47 -an d aresoposiA tioned as to directthemovement of flexible posts 27'- end -28through; holes 4:3 and '4 l respectively when flexible posts 27 and. areassembled in housing -2 ashereinafter described. Anend plug 4;8 ispositioned in. the end'of the casin formed by top 'plate 42 and bottomplate +47 and carries on its inner face a socket .-49+ for apurposehereinafter described. A hearing plate ..50.is

positioned adjacent the inner face of end plug 48 iAnother end plug +51-'is V positioned in the opposite end ofthe casing center point'thereof.A rod 55,-, carryand on the opposite end a left hand thread 57,positioned, adjacent one longitudinal side of the casing formed topplate 42-- andbottom plate-{l7 and has one end journaled-inbearingplatef'j 50-' andextends therethrough into socket The other end of rod-55 is 'journaledin bearing plate 53. and has an, extension 58, squarein cross section, extending into cylindrical hole-e52 The square-end 58is designed to receive a key or crank (not shown).;by which rod, 55 isrotated. Nuts 59 and -60 are threaded on threads 57 and-e56?respectively. The opposite ends of flexibleposts 27 and 28 heretoforedescribed are inserted through holes 44- and -45 and are ing on one endaright handthread -56 I V connected by links 61 and 62, to nuts 60 and+59 .respectively. A protect- 1 ing plate 63= having spaced holes and6'5 registering with holes and 44- respectively is positioned on theupper sideof'top plate .42 "and'is of such a form and shape as to haveits upper surface adjacent the upper edges of guides f' and ---46-.Protecting plate -'63-'-', top

plate 42-, end plug 4L8. and bottom plate -4:7 aresecured together byrivets Similarly protecting plate 63,- top plate 42, endplug 5l-' andbottom plate -47- are secured together by rivets -67. I

' Operation.

When rod is rotated in the proper direction to carry nuts "59 and to thecenterofhousing 2' a considerable portion of flexible posts 27 and 28'-will be drawn and'held inside of housing 2. When it is desired toincrease the available length of flexible posts -27 and ..28- betweenhousings 1 and --2-, rod 55 may be rotated to the extent. desiredthereby moving'nuts59- and 60 towards the ends of housing -2- and fore-Vthe action of springs -3land 37-.-

When the sheet has been inserted or-withdrawn the. housings may bereleased and are immediately returned totheir former position underaction of springs -..3% and If it is desired to lock the book so thatthis just described operation can not take place, the screw 19-isrotated in the proper direction to carrynuts -28 and 24-,inwardlyagainst flexible posts +27- and 28 which will prevent any movement ofthese posts.

It will be understood that this desirable result ofhaving'a flexiblepost binder so constructed that one end of each post is normally held inposition by the action of a spring can be accomplished in Ways otherthan by the specific construction just described. For although We haveshown and'described a spe cific structure and form of part asillustrative of an embodiment of our invention, we do not I desire torestrict ourselves to the exact shape,

formv or relation of parts as various changes may be made within thescope of the append- 1 ed claims.

What we claim is Y Y 1. In a device of the class described, a' pair ofhollow clamping members, opposed aper- "tures in said clamping-members,a flexible post extending through each pair of opposed apertures-and'havingone: end enclosed in one of the said-elam'p'ing members andtheother endenclosed in the other c lanrpingfmember, a guide rod in one ofsaid clamping members adjacent the enclosed ends' of the flexible posts,a guide links'ecur'ed to the end-of each of said flexible posts andbeing slidably mounted on said'guide rod, and a spring in-- terposedbetween each of said guidelinks' and the adjacent end of said clampingmember tained inside said clamping member.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of hollow'clampingmembers, opposed apertures in said clamping members, flexible post Ywhereby said flexible posts are yielding'ly reextending through eachpair ofopposed aper tures and having one end enclosed in one of the saidclamping members and the other end Q enclosedin the other clampingmember, a

guide rod in one of said'clamping members adjacentthe enclosed ends ofthe flexible posts, a guide link secured to the end of each of saidflexible posts and being slidably mounted on said guide rod, a springinter-' posed between each of said guide links and the adjacent endsofsaid clamping'member whereby said flexible posts are yieldingly retainedinside said clamping member, movable means adjacent each of saidpostsand means" for moving such movable means to and from said postswhereby in one position said movv able means will lock said postsagainst movement and in another position will function as guides for themovement of the posts tlzjhrough the apertures in said clamping memen af v o 3. In adevice of the tures in said clamping members, flexible postextending through each pair of opposed apertures and'having one endenclosed in one of the said clamping members and the other classdescribed, a pair of hollow clamping members,.opposed aper end enclosedin the other clamping member, a a gulde rod 1n one of saidclampmg'members V 9 adjacent the enclosed ends of the flexible posts, aguide link secured tothe end of each a of said flexible posts and beingslidably mounted on said guide rod, a coiled spring encircling saidguide rod and being interposed between each of said guidelinks and thead jacent end of said clamping member whereby said flexible posts areyieldingly retained in-'' side said clamping member, movablemeans,

adjacent each of said posts andmeans for moving such movable means toand from said posts whereby in one position said movable means will locksaid posts against movement and in another position will" function asguides forthe movement of the posts through the apertures in saidclamping member.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of hollow clampingmembers, opposed apertures in said clamping members, aflexible postextending through eachpairof opposed apertures and having one endenclosed in one oi the seid clamping members and the other foryieldingly'refaining the flexible postsfim end; enclosedin the otherclamping member, side said clamping member, 7 I I 0. guide rqd in one ofesaid clamping members 7 In witness whereofwe have hereunto set 19 Ijacent the enclosed ends of the flexible our hands this 7th day ofDecember,' 1927. M pwtma guide link securedto the endofeach Fwdfiexiblei Pwtsfimi being b y JOHN. L. ISICMILLANL 1 d u de l aflnfipfing means I PAUL 0. UNGER, a

